Golden Glows
by BeMyWeakness
Summary: "Why are you crying, momma?" The little girl asked, looking up at her with her father's big blue eyes. "I'm just really happy, baby" "Because you're marrying daddy?" "Yes, that's right".
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was still shining bright over the ocean, casting a golden glow over the sand, the grass and the beautiful beach house.

She had liked this house the moment she had step through its threshold all those years ago. It had been so different back then. Everything so tentative that sometimes it had been hard to act spontaneously without fearing for an undesired reaction. She knew it was her fault, even though he had insisted time after time that it wasn't. But it was. Those damn walls, she thought, a small smile gracing her face. It took time to be able to think about it without dwelling in all the wasted time. Now all those what ifs and missed opportunities were part of their story and she wouldn't change a bit of it.

She smiled again. She couldn't help it.

Her hand danced down her side, caressing the silky material of her dress, following the curvy line of her waist, down her hip and over the top of her right thigh. The left side of the dress had a silver pattern from the breast to the waist making a curvy line, adding a beautiful sense of movement to it. The dress was perfect. Thank God for Lanie.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the most beautiful sound she would ever hear in her life.

"Momma!"

The five year old burst into the room in a tornado of dark brown hair and big blue eyes, stopping short at the sight of her mother standing in front of a lenght-long mirror.

"Momma", what was before a scream was now an awe filled whisper, her eyes wide as she took in her mother's white dress. "You look like a princess".

Kate turned around, smile already in place for the most important person in her life. "Thank you, Emma", she walked to her and bent down to kiss her forehead, taking her hand and guiding her to the bed, where they sat side by side. "Is daddy getting ready or is he still playing Guitar Hero?"

The girl giggled "He's ready, I told him he was very handsome, him and Uncle Javi are arguing about who's better looking", this time Kate joined her in her giggling.

"I have a very important thing I need to do, Emma"

"What is it, momma? Can I help? I wanna help". Kate laughed when Emma started bouncing up and down on the bed.

"Okay, okay little monster" she sat down next to her again and took her hands in both of hers. "I need to ask you something and I hope you say yes" Emma was already nodding furiously, her bright eyes wide and expecting. Kate took a deep breath and smiled at her daughter as she reached her hand up to place a piece of hair behind her little ear. "Would you walk me down the aisle?"

Emma's mouth formed a big wide smile, her white little teeth the cutest thing she's seen since her soon-to-be husband handed her a bundled of pink blankets five years ago. "Yes!" the girl squealed "Yes, mommy, yes!", her arms suddenly full of sweet-smelling skin and silky brown hair resembling her own. She laughed brightly along with her daughter.

Her eyes were suddenly full of tears, smile disappearing, a sigh escaping, a bittersweet taste filling her mouth and a bump forming in her throat.

The girl pulled away from their embrace and looked at her mother, a serious look on her face. "Why are you crying, momma?" The little girl asked, looking up at her with her father's big blue eyes. Kate brushed her tears away.

"I'm just really happy, baby"

"Because you're marrying daddy?"

"Yes, that's right"

She wouldn't tell the girl the real reason why she was crying. She didn't need to know she missed her parents, she didn't want to turn this into a crying session, there have been one too many of those since... Since he left. She suspected the girl knew anyway, she was far too bright for her age. She blamed Castle.

"Happy tears?" the child asked again, not convinced by her mother's weak answer.

"Yes, happy tears", another tears made her way down her cheek to her chin. She smiled through the tears, laughing breathlessly after a few seconds "Aunt Lanie is gonna be mad at me, I'm ruining my make-up". That put a smile back into the girl's face.

"I'll help you fix it, momma"

"Thank you, baby girl", she whispered, giving her a skimo kiss. It was their thing. "You look really beautiful, Em, do I need to be jealous?" she said playfully, tickling her daughter's sides, making her squeal and squirm in her lap, both of them now laughing non-stop.

"Girl, Imma smack you, you're ruining it!".

Both Kate and Emma stopped and looked wide-eyed at the now opened door, where a figure stood, hands on her hips and glare on her face.

"Whoops"


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you doing jumping on the bed, letting Emma sit on your dress?!"

"Lanie" Kate rolled her eyes, smiling at the M.E. and putting Emma back on her feet "We were just having fun"

Lanie entered the room with a sigh, grabbing the make-up from the table and going to where Kate was still sitting, currently making funny faces to Emma just to hear her giggle in delight, the girl covering her mouth to try and muffle the sounds.

"You're supposed to have fun tonight, girl" Lanie told her with a suggestive smile, making Kate blush furiously. Even after all this time, she still finds it difficult to share intimate details about her life with Castle, and Lanie is all about the intimate details.

"What's happening tonight? Why are daddy and momma having fun tonight? Can I come?" Emma fired question after question innocently.

Lanie muffled a laugh for the sake of Kate's already red face and started retouching the soon-to-be Mrs. Castle make-up.

"Hey, baby girl, why don't you go see Daddy? I bet Uncle Javi and him are still being silly" Kate suggested, trying to cover her embarrasment by smiling at the girl and giving her an encouraging push towards the door, inviting the girl to run away to find Castle. She didn't disappointed. "Did you really have to make that comment?" Kate asked Lanie, trying hard to glare at her friend while still blushing.

Lanie let out the laugh she had been holding since Emma started asking questions "Well, girl, it is your wedding day". Kate nodded, accepting what her friend said, knowing there was no point arguing with the sassy M.E.

Kate sighed, her hands fidgetting in her lap, her head bowed down, trying to hide the emotion in her eyes. Lanie frowned.

"Hey, Kate, what's up, girl?" she asked, sitting down besides her too-quite friend. When Beckett looked up her eyes were bright with tears, her bottom lip quivering as she tried to hold back a sob. Lanie didn't hesitate and pulled her in for a hug, admitting Kate's breakdown and caressing her partially bare back, trying not to cry as she heard her friend's sobs, her body quivering with them.

"I just miss them so much" Kate whispered into her friend's chest, hugging her even tighter.

"I know you do"

"I just wish they could be here with us"

"Listen to me, Kate, they'd be so proud of you" Lanie pulled back to look at her friend, her face a mess of tears "Your mom would've loved Castle and you know she would've spoiled Emma, just like your dad did when she was a baby"

Kate smiled softly, remembering how her father had held baby Emma, so much fear of dropping her that the first 8 months he's been even reluctant to the the infant in his arms. His love for her always won and he ended up taking her, anyway. "I know. It's just hard having the perfect wedding without them".

Lanie nodded, caressing her bare arm. The sat in silence for a couple of minutes more, each reflecting in what this wedding meant.

"I'm going to re-touch your make-up, okay?" Lanie asked softly, receiving a nod in response.

"Thank you, Lanie"

"No problem, sweetie" she smiled "Now let's get you ready, Castle's so nervous is not even cute anymore".

Kate laughed "He shouldn't be"

"The man is crazy about you, Kate, it's normal to be nervous. Aren't you?"

"Well, of course I'm nervous, but... I just want so badly to see his face"

"It should be illegal to have that dreamy look on your face. It's disgustingly sweet" she curled a few strands in her finger and rearranged them so that they framed her friend's face "And don't say I told you so, you knew how things were between me and Javier"

Kate sighed "Lanie" she would never admit that it sounded suspiciously like a whine "I just think you should've thought better before-" she was interrupted by Lanie putting lipstick on her lips, making her glare at her while she simply smirked.

"Let's not talk about my non-relatioship with Javier, today's your day"

"You always have an excuse for not talking about your personal life but you need to know how long Castle's p-"

"Kate?" a voice asked through the closed door "Can I come in?"

"Alexis, yes, of course"

Lanie laughed quietly "Nice timing" she packed her make-up and touched Kate's shoulder "I'm gonna give you girls a minute"

Kate nodded and Lanie hugged Alexis before leaving the room.

"You look beautiful, Kate" she smiled shyly

"Thank you, sweetie" she gestured with her hand for the girl to come closer and sit with her "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you beofre you officially become my stepmom" she smirked, knowing how much Kate hated word, and indeed, Kate made a funny face, making Alexis laugh.

"You make it sound like an evil stepmom from Disney"

"Well, you'd totally be Snow White's stepmom"

Kate faked a shocked face "Thank you very much"

They both laughed and then simply smiled at each other.

"I'm glad you're his one and done" Alexis finally whispered.

"Me too" Kate replied, pulling Alexis into her arms "Thank you"

"You're welcome" the girl smiled into Kate's hair, remembering a time where she had been wary of her intentions towards her dad, afraid that the fierce Detective with the walls around her heart would break her dad beyond repair, that she woul never return his feelings. She had proven herself to her and to her dad, she had giving them Emma, the joy of the house and she had helped her through so many issues and boyfriends, failed exams and hard exchanges with her mother. She was so thankful to call her a part of her family. She just wants this day to be perfect, to get through it with joy and no weird surprises, but considering this was Kate and her dad, she doubted.

And she wasn't wrong.


End file.
